CN1168317A - Dual-purpose layup tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a laid-up, bonded and, cured composite part, includes filling a groove on a facing surface of a tool with a foaming, self-skinning sacrificial material and covering the facing surface of the tool with a caul sheet. The tool is heated to cure the foaming material, filling the grooveand forming a hard, smooth surface skin on the foam, flush with the facing surface of the tool. A series of plies are laid-up on the facing surface of the tool to form a tool-side skin, and other components of the part are laid-up on top of the tool-side skin plies. An adhesive/resin matrix is coated on or pre-impregnated into the skin plies and the components for bonding/curing to create a rigid integral assembly of the akin and components.

Description

Dual purpose lay-up tool

The present invention relates to a kind of lay-up tool (lay-up tools) that is used for making composite articles thereon, more specifically to a kind of lay-up tool, can fold fixture on this instrument has the interlayer workpiece of honeycomb chipware, this chipware is mutually bonding with the first surface sheet and carved, apply and bonding second surface sheet, and workpiece repaired, all these operations all are to carry out under the state of workpiece not being taken off from instrument, till the workpiece completion of processing.

Composite articles is because its mechanical performance and lighter weight and obtained using widely in the every field of industry.Particularly a kind of honeycomb type composite articles, it has the honeycomb chipware between two composite table dough sheets, and this composite articles presents good strength-to-weight ratio and rigidity-weight ratio, and this makes it have especially and is worth and is widely used in aerospace industry.Yet, although this workpiece has generally acknowledged advantage, and having obtained extensive use, it is but comparatively expensive, and this part ground is difficult to use because the method for this workpiece of making is still clumsy, and it has caused higher the scrapping and repair rate of composite articles.

The method of making composite articles is included in " bonding assembling jig " (bond assemblyjig of a kind of being called as, the surface of instrument BAJ) folded system tool side cortex (tool-side skin), this cortex are normally made by glass fibre or Graphite cloth that several layers has soaked resin.If workpiece need have the honeycomb chipware, then cellular material is cut and is assemblied on the described tool side cortex, and on assembly, cover a vacuum bag, by a vacuum source air in this vacuum bag is extracted out.The assembly that has put vacuum bag is sent in the autoclave, and mutually bonding with vacuum source once more, simultaneously it is heated,, and the honeycomb chipware is gluedd joint mutually with cortex so that make resin solidification in the tool side cortex layer.The assembly that is with vacuum bag is taken out from pressurized canister, and remove this vacuum bag.

After this, must carry out machining, so that make the honeycomb chipware have required shape to the workpiece that is obtained.Above-mentioned machining is realized by the CNC lathe, the gantry machine tool of manipulator for example has been installed, yet workpiece can not carry out such processing on BAJ, because it can't be positioned on the lathe base, also the coating assembly is not fixed on simultaneously the facility on the tool surfaces of BAJ.Do not enter the mouth on the what is more important tool surfaces, make cutter to stretch into wherein and cut edge, hole or other machining.In fact, workpiece is taken off from BAJ, is transported to another and is called as " bonding milling fixture " (bond mill fixture, instrument place BMF).This BMF has the contour shape identical with BAJ, and has suction mouth and clamping device, so that the honeycomb chipware is being processed, it is engraved as in the process of required shape, workpiece is fixed on the certain position of BMF.

Workpiece is taken off from described BMF, and the honeycomb chipware is cleaned, so that remove dust in its hole.Again will be positioned on the BAJ through the workpiece after the cleaning, make it to cooperate again with anchor clamps and hold-down mechanism.The folded multilayer material that constitutes vacuum bag side cortex (bag-side skin) on honeycomb chipware upper strata covers then and goes up another vacuum bag.BAJ is sent in the autoclave again, in this autoclave, makes vacuum bag side cortex mutually bonding with the honeycomb chipware.After solidifying, the workpiece after solidifying is taken off from BAJ again, and be repositioned on the described BMF, so that carry out last finishing.

Said process is quite time-consuming, and cost is very high.It need adopt two independent instruments, and these instruments all are very expensive, and is especially just all the more so for large-scale workpiece, and on two instruments workpiece is taken off and need to carry out a large amount of manual operationss in the process of loading onto.Large-scale composite articles is difficulty especially, because this workpiece has flexibility, is difficult to it is accurately placed on the instrument when reorientating.When having only a side cortex on the workpiece of part completion, it is unbalanced, often because the stress that cortex is produced in solidification process makes it distortion, this just feasible workpiece is repositioned at is repaired on the BMF and the process that workpiece is repositioned at stacked vacuum bag side cortex on the BAJ is become more difficult.The inaccurate location of workpiece on instrument will cause the operation that workpiece is carried out is subsequently walked, because such operation still is positioned on the tram and carries out at the supposition workpiece.Like this, in operation each time, all can be slightly different to the processing of workpiece, thus cause obtaining identical finished product workpiece, and its difference also is fully unpredictable.To being undertaken in the process of Shape Quality Control by the resulting workpiece of such method, adopt the common method of quality control that adopts, for example statistical method control or the like is ineffective.In the control of size and the margin of tolerance that workpiece is met determine through statistics to require for the ability of making product by progress be vital occasion, it is more outstanding that the problems referred to above will become, and whether can obtain the coml success because this will be related to enterprise.

Therefore industrially need to provide a kind of like this making coating compound and interlayer workpiece urgently, the method and apparatus that for example has the workpiece of honeycomb chipware, it can adopt single instrument to carry out the assembling of each parts of workpiece and bonding, and can adopt same instrument to come holding workpiece not need workpiece is transmitted between different instruments back and forth so that carry out the finishing of net shape.

Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a kind of improved method, be used for from composed component, for example surperficial cortex or lamination, honeycomb chipware and soak the fibrous material of resin in advance, make through workpiece bonding and that solidify, this method can be improved the performance that the workpiece that obtains meets dimensional requirement significantly.Another object of the present invention provides a kind of single instrument, can be on this instrument to need be assembled by each parts bonding or that solidify, bonding and/or solidify, carry out machining with very high precision then, promptly carve, repair and/or boring etc., and all these is to carry out on the home position of the instrument that this workpiece is assembled first, do not need workpiece is taken off, till finishing mechanical processing steps.A further object of the present invention provides a kind of improved workpiece, it by component parts on a single instrument through bonding or solidify and fit together, and on same instrument, carry out machining, allow workpiece remain on that it is original on bonding or the position of solidifying, do not need workpiece is taken off from described position, till finishing machining.

Above-mentioned and other purposes of the present invention all are to realize on a single instrument, and this instrument has a tool body, and the shape of its surface (facing surface) is processed to the shape on workpiece one surface that need make on this instrument.Formed a groove on the surface of tool body, fill expendable material (sacrificial material) in this groove, this expendable material has formed the end face that a surface with tool body flushes.Described expendable material is a kind of expanded material, and it can form the hard and level and smooth top layer that the surface of one deck and tool body flushes.By on tool body, stacking tool side cortex or lamination, and this tool side cortex and the flush surfaces that is arranged in the described expendable material of circumferential groove bonded together, thereby produce workpiece.The honeycomb chipware can be placed on the described cortex, and with assembly with and the corresponding to tool side cortex of tool surfaces bonding and/or be solidified togather.After solidifying, instrument is taken out from autoclave, and it is repositioned on the pedestal of a CNC lathe, on this lathe, adopt the cutter that is fit to that the honeycomb chipware is processed into required shape, and employing application of vacuum mode is removed the dust in the chipware.On the surface through processing of chipware, apply the multilayer material that is used to form vacuum bag side cortex, and assembly is cured.After being cured, instrument accurately is positioned on the pedestal of described CNC lathe again, adopt the cutter on this lathe to cut a periphery edge around workpiece.The controller of this lathe is programmed, so that the control cutter cuts around described circumferential groove.This cutter extend in the described circumferential groove, and is meshed with the whole thickness direction of workpiece, so that cut periphery edge.After carrying out the edge cutting, the workpiece of finishing processing is taken off from instrument.In entire making process, workpiece is positioned on the instrument all the time, has therefore eliminated the orientation problem that transmits between the instrument that in the known technology workpiece is used in different making steps and bring.

By following detailed description to the embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other purposes of the present invention and advantage will become more clear.Wherein:

Fig. 1 is the perspective view of dual purpose lay-up tool of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the perspective view that is positioned at the dual purpose lay-up tool on the pedestal of gantry machine tool;

Fig. 3 is the cutaway view of the tool surfaces of the top board of instrument as shown in Figure 1, has laid the parts of workpiece on instrument, and shows under the state on the home position that workpiece is remained on the instrument workpiece is repaired the travel path that adds the cutter in man-hour with other;

Fig. 4 is the cutaway view of the top plate portion of instrument as shown in Figure 1, shows the liner plate (caul sheet) that covers on the groove of having filled expendable material;

Fig. 5 is the perspective view that amplifies, and shows the electrical heating liner plate that covers according to the present invention on the instrument;

Fig. 6 is the perspective view of the instrument of another kind of form provided by the present invention, shows the recess that is used as various otch on the top board of instrument;

Fig. 7 is used for the side view of the supporting structure of instrument as shown in Figure 1;

Fig. 8 is the plan view of instrument supporting structure as shown in Figure 7;

Fig. 9 is a block diagram, shows the process that numerical data is converted to the form that machine tool controller can use by a digital part model;

Figure 10 is a kind of perspective view of vacuum tool, and this instrument is used for cleaning the dust of the hole of the honeycomb chipware that processes on instrument as described in Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding workpiece adopts identical Reference numeral to represent.Referring to Fig. 1, it shows a dual-purpose laying instrument 30, has the tool body as top board 32, and this top board 32 has supporting structure 34 to support.The material of making top board 32 has compatible each other chemistry and physical property with the making workpiece material.For example, the material of making top board 32 preferably and the material of parts particularly with contacted that layer material of top board (being commonly called " tool side cortex "), has the thermal coefficient of expansion that matches each other.If above-mentioned tool side cortex is to be the carbon fibre fabric that epoxy resin soaks in advance by a kind of widely used material, then top board 32 also should be made by carbon fiber and epoxy resin composite material, perhaps make by invar (invar) 36, this alloy is by a kind of nickel-ferro alloy, has the thermal coefficient of expansion that is complementary with carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite material.Aluminum cortex with aluminium honeycomb core adopts aluminium processing usually, thereby (CTE) is complementary aspect thermal coefficient of expansion, and has the chemical property that is complementary with the aluminum workpiece material.

Supporting structure 34 can adopt any suitable design, although be (egg-crate) design of formula of routine " grid " that adopts as shown in Figure 1 in most preferred embodiment.United States Patent (USP) discloses another kind of suitable supporting structure for No. 5100255, and it is fitted together and made by the composite pipe with installed part, and the application is with above-mentioned United States Patent (USP) technology as a setting.Supporting structure 34 has the transportation annex, so that move described instrument 30 in factory.In this most preferred embodiment, above-mentioned transportation annex comprises two pairs of lifting rings 36, and they are separately fixed at the front side and the rear side of supporting structure 34, are used to install hoisting cable, and this hawser matches with suspension hook in the driving, is used for slinging and transporting instrument 30 in factory.Another kind of transportation annex is the fork truck lifting pipe 40 that is arranged on supporting structure 34 inside as shown in Figure 1, and it can be used to replace above-mentioned lifting ring, but preferably both and tool.Fork truck lifting pipe 40 is used to admit two yokes that are separated from each other of fork truck, just instrument 30 can be raised up by this yoke, and move everywhere in factory.

On supporting structure 34, be provided with location and fixed mechanism, be used for instrument 30 is accurately rotated and is positioned at the pedestal 42 (this lathe can be 5 gantry machine tools 44 as shown in Figure 2) of lathe, and supporting structure 34 be fixed on the desired location of lathe platen 42.Lathe 44 carries out machining to it after the workpiece of instrument 30 superimposed layers solidifies under the control of machine tool controller 46.Above-mentioned location and fixed mechanism help the accurate location of instrument 30 on lathe base 42, so machine tool controller can drive lathe to correct position, so that workpiece is processed accurately.This detent mechanism comprises set-point, sinusoidal key and instrument ball, will their use be elaborated below.Adopt these mechanisms, can very exactly instrument 30 be positioned on the pedestal 42 of lathe, and can check this position, and the program of regulating lathe, make it to meet the physical location of the top board 34 of instrument 30, thereby accurately carry out process operation subsequently, because known the instrument 30 and the position of the workpiece of lamination thereon exactly.

Instrument 30 is fixed on fixed mechanism on the lathe base 42 can adopts that known being used for is fixed on mechanism on the lathe with workpiece in any described technical field.In this embodiment, said fixing mechanism is common chuck (toe clamps), and its design is that the person of ordinary skill in the field is known.

Top board 32 has a surface 60 up, the stacked thereon component parts of workpiece.The shape of above-mentioned upper surface is exactly need be by the shape on some surfaces of the workpiece of this instrument made.Process the recess towards upper shed on the upper surface 60 of top board 32, the position of this recess is corresponding to the position that needs to give machining in manufacturing process subsequently on workpiece.Above-mentioned recess comprises: be positioned at the circumferential groove 62 on the top board 32, its position is exactly the position that need cut out the edge on workpiece; Be positioned at the cylindrical hole 63 on the top board 32, its position is exactly the position that need hole on workpiece.What other continuous channels were arranged in groove 62 need be on the position that cuts out opening on the workpiece.In the different shape of recess some as shown in Figure 6.Expendable material (sacrifical material) 64 is set in recess, constituent material can be stacked on the top board 32 that flushes with upper surface 60 on this material.

As shown in Figure 3, groove 62 sections preferably have dovetail, and this will help above-mentioned corrosion protection consumption expanded material is remained in the groove, till it is removed.After overcuring, above-mentioned expanded material has the intensity of about 500PSI, and this intensity has been enough to provide a support surface so that tool side layer and instrument top board 32 surfaces are flushed under normal situation.Yet, higher if desired intensity, can in groove 62, add one or more layers graphite/epoxy resin impregnated band, make it to be positioned on the expanded material 64, so that more hard surface is provided, load is distributed on the bigger surface, thereby can bears bigger load.For the ease of after taking out workpiece, can from groove 62, removing expanded material 64 easily, can before expanded material being applied in the groove 62, on groove 62, insert other ribbon through the resin immersion.

Groove 62 is fully around the centre of the upper surface 60 of top board 32, on the position at establishment edge strip place from the teeth outwards with the component parts of coating workpiece.Other recesses are positioned at some position of instrument, the position that this position need process workpiece corresponding to the position that need hole on workpiece or other.The groove of periphery is the groove of a kind of " continuously ", and so-called this groove that is meant continuously is fully around the position of coating workpiece.Yet, may have comparatively special workpiece design, it needs to have in the groove is interrupted or the gap, the groove that Here it is so-called " continuous basically ".The degree of depth of groove preferably makes the cutter 68 of lathe just in time can reach in its cutting process below the surface 60, thereby the cutting teeth portion at its periphery place can be meshed with the whole thickness of workpiece neighboring and cut.In this embodiment, the depth D of groove 62 is approximately 0.050 inch, if but can not make it to follow the contour shape of top board 32 for the lathe setting program of cutter 68 has been installed with required precision, then can make the above-mentioned degree of depth darker.

The diameter that should be suitable for cutter 68 of choosing of the width W of groove 62 adds cutter 68 in the lathe 44 required tolerance in its stroke.The both sides of the otch that cuts out at cutter 68 also provide the additional width of groove 62, be used to keep tool side surface towards the lay-up materials of expendable material 64 bendings, so that it is mobile to guarantee that workpiece can not produce in the process of cutting operation, but be firmly held on the position of top board 32, till cutting processing finishes and workpiece can be taken off from instrument 30.

Expendable material 64 can adopt any suitable material, as long as it can be placed among the groove 62 easily, and has enough intensity, heat resistance and other character supporting that in bonding/curing operation process constituent material gets final product.The material that adopts in this embodiment is B.F.Goodrich #PL657 heat-swellable skinned foam (self-skinning foam) preferably.As shown in Figure 4, it is placed groove 62 with particle or slitting form, and cover the level and smooth molded caul sheet (caul sheet) 70 of one deck.These caul sheet 70 the most handy graphite/epoxy are made, before being processed to form groove 62 and other recesses, directly be embossed on the upper surface of top board 32, and under the situation that covers a vacuum bag 71, solidified by being heated to solidification temperature at cure cycle.By laying a sealing strip, vacuum track 73 can be embossed in the downside of caul sheet 70, the sealing bar is generally used for along the edge that comes in the both sides, path that will process groove 62 on the top board surface 60 between sealed vacuum bag 71 and the instrument.Graphite/epoxy resin the sheet material that is used to make caul sheet is placed in the tool surfaces 60 on the sealing strip, and is cured with this shape, to form vacuum track 73.By covering groove 62, and adopt the sealing strip of knowing in this technology that is similar to putty and so on 75 edge of vacuum bag to be sealed to the surface 60 of top board 32 with caul sheet 70 and vacuum bag.Above-mentioned vacuum bag is evacuated to the vacuum of about 10 inches (mercury column), and vacuum is applied in the vacuum track 73, be attached to the instrument upper surface 60 that is positioned on the groove 62 so that caul sheet held down, expanded material expands towards the downside that is positioned at the caul sheet on the groove 62 simultaneously, and is solidified under the condition of this expansion subsequently.For expanded material being expanded and solidifying, instrument 30 is placed among a baking box or the autoclave, and be heated to the specified heating-up temperature of expanded material manufacturer, for B.F.goodrich # PL657 material, be under about 260 ℃ temperature, to heat about 90 minutes.

In order to solidify expanded material 64, preferably adopt the electrically heated caul sheet 72 of usefulness shown in Figure 5.Fixing electric heating bar 74 on the upper surface 76 of this caul sheet 72, the position of electric heating bar 74 is positioned on the groove 62, and electric heating bar 74 perhaps just is set when making caul sheet 72 therein.Can be with an adiabatic blanket 77, part covers on the end face of caul sheet 72 as shown in phantom in Figure 5, so that reduce the heat radiation of air towards periphery in solidification process, reduces that expanded material 64 is remained on electric energy required under the high-temperature.The temperature sensor 78 adjacent with the electric heating bar produces a signal, be sent to a controller 80 by lead 79, this controller monitors the temperature of caul sheet 72, and the electric energy that provides to electric heating bar 74 by power supply 82 is provided, so that temperature is held in place on the required solidification temperature of expanded material 64 in groove 62.Owing to adopted above-mentioned electric network diaphragm 72, therefore in solidification process, needn't use expensive baking box, thereby reduce the cost of manufacturing process.

After expanded material 64 is cured, remove vacuum bag 71 and caul sheet 70 or 72, and on tool surfaces 60 or coating on both sides one deck release coating of groove 62, but be not coated on the place mat expanded material 64 that is arranged in groove 62.The effect of above-mentioned release coating is that workpiece can not be bonded on the tool surfaces when workpiece is taken out from instrument 30.Each layer of the tool side cortex 85 of workpiece is placed on the tool surfaces 60, covers groove 62, and crosses the certain distance of this groove as shown in Figure 3, so that a surplus or edge are provided.If workpiece is an interlayer workpiece with honeycomb core, honeycomb chipware 84 will place on the end face of above-mentioned multilayer tool side cortex by the sticky inflation expanded material between the element 84.The expanded foamed material 64 that is used for groove 62 also can be advantageously used in honeycomb element 84 is bonded together.

With a ventilation bar 87 place multilayer tool side cortex 85 near, and vacuum bag 71 placed on multilayer tool side cortex 85 and the miscellaneous part such as the honeycomb chipware.Adopt other analogs of knowing in sealing strip 75 or the described technical field, the outside around groove 62, the edge of vacuum bag 71 is sealed on the tool surfaces.The inside of space under the vacuum bag 71 and sealing putty periphery is vacuumized by vavuum pump 86, and near the vacuum interface 90 of the instrument this vavuum pump 86 vacuumizes conduit 88 and is arranged in groove 62 by is mutually bonding.Instrument 30 is being delivered in the process of an autoclave (not shown), can adopted the check valve (not shown) that is installed on the above-mentioned vacuum interface to keep vacuum.In above-mentioned autoclave, vacuum interface 90 is bonded to vacuum source 86 again, and autoclave is pressurizeed and heats, the resin that soaks in advance in each layer is flowed out and solidify, by vacuumizing conduit 88 any gas that cured resin produced is extracted out simultaneously.

After the resin solidification in each layer and parts, the temperature and pressure in the autoclave is reduced to room temperature normal pressure (RTP), and instrument 30 is transported on the pedestal 42 of lathe.Telescopic foot 94 on the supporting structure 34 of instrument 30 is contracted, so that the reference surface 96 of supporting structure 34 downsides is meshed with the pedestal 42 of lathe.So just determined the surface 60 and lathe base 42 upright position apart of instrument 30, this is the distance of machine tool program institute " known ", the moving of this programme-control gantry machine tool.In other any times; above-mentioned retractible foot 94 all is in the state that stretches out; in other words; instrument 30 deposit with moving process in; and cortical material and constituent material are on instrument 30 in the stacked process; above-mentioned scalable foot is in the state of stretching out, so that protect accurate ground connection reference surface % can not produce cut or be subjected to other damages, such damage will influence the distance between the top surface 60 of reference surface 96 and top board 32.

By the material positioner, comprise set-point 98 shown in Fig. 7,8 and sinusoidal key 100, determine position and the orientation of instrument 30 on lathe base 42.Above-mentioned set-point 98 comprises plate 102 (it being securely fixed in the downside of the supporting structure 34 of instrument 30 by welding or other modes) and the upright opening 104 that accurately gets out and overlap on this plate 102.As shown in Figure 2, its diameter being typically 2 inches lower margin pin 106 is inserted in the above-mentioned hole 104 with tight sliding matching mode and makes it to be inserted on the lathe base 42 in some selected holes with same size 108.Shown in Fig. 7,8, described sinusoidal key 100 comprises plate 110, and it is fixed on the downside of supporting structure 34 as plate 102.On plate 110, accurately get out and overlapped a less upright opening 112.Equally, the lower margin pin that its diameter is typically 13/16 inch is inserted in the described hole 112 with tight sliding matching mode, and is passed down through plate 110, enters into the T-slot 116 on the lathe base 42, and these grooves are aimed in described hole 108.When pin 106 and 114 is located on plate 102 and 110, when being passed down through hole 108 and groove 116, instrument 30 will be determined uniquely in the position of lathe base 42.By determining the groove 116 and the hole 108 at pin place, just its position can be input in the control program of lathe.This information just is enough to make machine tool controller guiding lathe to carry out required cutting operation together with the tool shape data and the workpiece shape data that are input among the machine tool controller 46.

Referring to Fig. 9, it has shown the machine instruction that the controller that how digital workpiece data is converted to lathe 44 can be understood and carry out in the mode of signal, so that make lathe carry out required processing to workpiece, for example cuts edge and holes.Be stored in digital part model 120 in the central computer 122 and be sent to the programmable device of NC lathe, this programmable device adopts above-mentioned part model 120 to come generating routine 124.Described program comprises various information, for example the processing number of times of the kind of cutter, cutter shaft speed, cutter feeding rate, cutting depth, cutter and travel path or the like.Above-mentioned NC machine tool program is handled by a preprocessor 126, so that produce the program that a kind of its form and carrier can be read by machine tool controller 46.This program is fed to a data base management system and stores, so that can take out when needed.When a machine operation person is ready to make workpiece, said procedure is accessed, be sent to machine tool controller and carry out this program, so that on the pedestal 42 that workpiece is fixed on lathe and after confirming its position, carry out required machining.

Some workpiece need be made independent chipware under the condition that breaks away from the tool side cortex, and then is assembled together through once-through operation and tool side cortex and vacuum bag side cortex, and is solidified together.For such workpiece, the graphite epoxy resin of individual layer is placed on the surface 60 of instrument, and with the honeycomb chipware place the tool side layer above.Between the foaming chipware, insert such as the expanded material bar of making by B.F.Goodrich # PL657.At vacuum bag of the above-mentioned covering of assembly, and adopt a vavuum pump to vacuumize.This instrument is placed an autoclave, temperature and pressure is wherein brought up to solidified needed numerical value.In the method, there is no need to adopt liner plate to come the expanded material in the groove 62 is cured separately,, provide a kind of support, before solidifying, make the expanded material in the groove 62 produce depression so that prevent vacuum bag because the honeycomb chipware covers and crosses over this groove.After chipware is cured, instrument is delivered to lathe, and be installed on the pedestal 42 of lathe, make it to be positioned at the desired position.Chipware is processed, produced the needed engraving shape of workpiece that adopts it, and cut, so that chipware is taken out from instrument along the periphery of 62 pairs of chipwares of groove.Chipware through engraving and processing is removed, and is installed on the tool side cortex of same or another instrument.On chipware, apply vacuum bag side cortex, and a vacuum bag is placed and is sealed on the instrument.Above-mentioned vacuum bag is vacuumized, and instrument is placed an autoclave, so that two kinds of cortexes are carried out co-curing.

Processing to produce the required engraving shape of workpiece to chipware 84 is a kind of effective and accurate technique, is used to make chipware to produce required shape.Yet practice shows that dust and the fragment that will remove in the fuse hole are very difficult after processing, and especially workpiece is fixed under the situation on the instrument just all the more so before being cured up to the vacuum bag cortex.For the ease of from the fuse hole, removing dust and fragment, vacuum tool shown in Figure 10 130 is slipped on the top surface of chipware.This vacuum tool has a cover 132, and it has a bond 134 that is used to install vaccum suction pipe 136.At the opposite side of cover 132 pipe 138 that strides across its opening has been installed.This pipe 138 has row's aperture 140, and aperture is provided with a bond 142 of quick-detach soon towards the opening direction of cover in the end of pipe 138, is used for this pipe mutually bonding with a compressed air hose 144.

In the process of operation, described vacuum tool is mutually bonding with the vaccum suction pipe 136 from the vacuum source such as dust catcher, and compressed air hose 144 bonded on the bond 142.Cover placed make on its surface that is opened on the honeycomb chipware, the air that is blown out by row's aperture 140 blows out the dust in the honeycomb hole, and the air that will contain dust by vaccum suction pipe 136 is extracted out from cover 132 then.Therefore the air speed that the air speed that blows out from aperture 140 is extracted out from vacuum cover 132 less than vacuum source does not have dust and blows out from cover 132.Row's shallow slot along cover 132 front edges makes air to be inhaled in the cover, thereby can prevent that such vacuum will hinder cover to move on the surface of chipware 84 in the inner vacuum that forms of cover.

Like this, the method and apparatus of the present invention by providing one to be used at lay-up tool upper strata superimposition curing/bonding work pieces, and provide the honeycomb chipware is carved and still is positioned at original tool and still is in the device of under the condition in home position workpiece being revised and being holed at workpiece, thereby realized purpose of the present invention.The present invention has overcome known method and the existing problem of device, has improved manufacture craft greatly, enables tolerance up to specification, and has reduced the cost of making, maintenance and store tools significantly.This manufacturing technology that has than closed tolerance through improvement makes the employing of new technique become possibility, adopt such technology can make large-scale coating workpiece, for example statistical tolerance and definite device, thus quality further improved, reduced the cost of the device that adopts described workpiece.

Obviously, on basis of the present invention, the those of ordinary skill in the present technique field can also be made all improvement.Therefore should be pointed out that these improvement and equivalent technologies thereof are all within the scope of following claim.

Claims (25)

1. A dual-purpose tool used both as a forming body to apply constituent material thereto for bonding and/or curing into a workpiece of desired shape, and for subsequent machining of the peripheral edge of said workpiece Processes that hold the material in place as originally applied include: a tool body having a surface configured to the desired shape of a surface of a workpiece to be fabricated on the tool; a support structure for supporting the tool body in order to maintain the desired shape of the surface; a substantially continuous groove on said tool body opening on said surface; Therein, the material for the workpiece is applied to the tool body and bonded and/or cured and edge-finished in its original application position on the tool body. 2. The dual purpose tool of claim 1, wherein: The groove has a dovetail cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the groove, the width of which is greater at the base than at the surface. 3. The dual purpose tool of claim 1, further comprising: A sacrificial material is used to fill the groove and form a top surface flush with the surface of the tool body. 4. The dual purpose tool of claim 3, wherein: The sacrificial material is a self-skin foaming material for forming a dense hard skin flush with the surface of the tool body. 5. The dual purpose tool of claim 1, wherein: The sacrificial material has a fiber strip bonded therein to facilitate removal of the sacrificial material from the slot after cutting the peripheral edge around the workpiece. 6. The dual purpose tool of claim 1, further comprising positioning means on said tool for positioning said support structure and said tool body on a base of a machine tool according to shape data about said slot and data about said support structure and tool body to be programmed so that said peripheral edge is automatically cut by the machine tool. 7. The dual purpose tool of claim 6, wherein: The locating means includes setpoints and sinusoidal keys, each having pins for precise positioning to precisely position the support structure on the machine bed. 8. The dual purpose tool of claim 7, wherein: The locating device includes a tool ball seat in the tool body for receiving a tool ball having a surface for contact with a probe manipulated by the machine tool to determine a position on the tool. The actual location of a datum surface. 9. A laminated and bonded workpiece comprising; tool side skins and vacuum bag skins on opposite sides of a honeycomb core; Around the peripheral edge of the workpiece, the edge is machined while the workpiece remains in its original stacked position on the tool. 10. A method for making a laminated bonded and cured workpiece comprising: filling a peripheral groove on a surface of a tool with sacrificial material and forming a surface flush with said surface; A tool-side skin is laminated on said surface of said tool and other components of the workpiece are laminated on top of said tool-side skin, said skin and components having an adhesive/resin matrix bonded/cured to form a solid monolithic assembly of said skins and components; applying a vacuum bag over said laminated skin and part, sealing the edge region of said vacuum bag around said skin and part; evacuating air from the vacuum bag, causing the vacuum bag to fit tightly against the part by air pressure external to the vacuum bag; bonding/curing said adhesive/resin matrix such that said skin and part form said strong monolithic assembly; removing the vacuum bag from the surface of the tool, exposing the solid monolithic component; Fixing said tool at a known location on the base of a CNC machine tool with positioning means so that said surface of said tool is at a known location so that said solid integral assembly is positioned by said machine tool edge cutting; loading the data set with the digital condition of the workpiece into a controller to control the processing of the machine tool; The controller executes a machine tool control program using the data set to guide a tool of the machine tool to perform machining around the surface of the tool with a predetermined trajectory, the tool cutting off and cutting the perimeter edge of the solid monolithic component; The solid monolithic component is removed from the surface of the tool. 11. The manufacturing method of claim 10, further comprising: probing said tool with a probe mounted on said CNC machine to determine the actual location of at least three datums on said tool; Correcting the machine tool control program with the actual position of the reference point, updating the machine tool control program related to the tool on the machine tool according to the position data in the controller based on the coordinates of the positioning device data for the location of . 12. The manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein: The data set is transcribed into the machine tool program of the machine tool controller by a host computer storing the data set. 13. The manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein: The slots are cut using the machine tool with the tool on the machine bed in order to minimize the variation from machine tool to procedure. 14. The manufacturing method of claim 12, wherein; The sacrificial material is a self-skinning foaming material; The step of forming the surface of the sacrificial material includes covering the surface of the tool with a backing plate, heating the tool and the foam material in the groove to foam and solidify the foam material, The groove is filled and a hard smooth surface is formed on the foam material which is flush with the surface. 15. A method of making laminated bonded and/or cured workpieces, comprising: providing tool side surface sheets on a tool whose surface is machined to have the desired moldline shape of said workpiece; supporting the tool side surface sheet on a sacrificial material filled in a peripheral groove surrounding the surface sheet with the surface sheet on its outer peripheral edge, the upper surface of the sacrificial material being in contact with said surfaces of said tool are flush; bonding the tool side surface sheet to the sacrificial material in the groove; bonding and/or curing the surface sheet on the tool; Cutting a new peripheral edge on the workpiece along the peripheral groove with a tool on the machine tool that penetrates into the peripheral groove, partially cuts into the sacrificial material, and aligns with the surface sheet Engage the entire thickness of the tool to cut a new perimeter edge. 16. The method of making a laminated bonded and/or cured workpiece as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: Laminating a honeycomb core material on the top surface of the tool side surface sheet, and bonding the honeycomb core material to the tool side surface sheet; processing said honeycomb core material to produce a honeycomb core having a carved top surface conforming to the desired shape of said workpiece; A vacuum bag side skin was bonded to the carved top surface of the honeycomb core. 17. The method for making laminated and/or cured workpieces as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: Carry out air blowing to the hole of described honeycomb core part after processing, in order to remove the dust that produces during the manufacture of honeycomb core part; Vacuum suction is applied in the vicinity of the air purge to suck out the dust blown from the holes. 18. The method of making laminated bonded and/or cured workpieces as claimed in claim 15, wherein: The sacrificial material is a foaming material capable of self-skinning; The surface forming step of the sacrificial material comprises covering the surface of the tool with a backing plate, heating the tool and the foam material in the groove so as to foam and solidify the foam material, The groove is filled and a hard smooth surface is formed on the foam material which is flush with the surface. 19. A method of making a composite workpiece comprising: A stream of foamed material is applied in a substantially continuous groove on the lamination area around the top surface of a tool: placing a liner over said groove, applying pressure to said liner, pressing it flat against said top surface of said tool; heating the liner, thereby heating the foam material located in the groove; foaming said foaming material and filling said groove up to said liner so that a top surface is formed by the foaming material that is flush with said surface of said tool; allowing the foamed material to cure in the groove while maintaining the applied pressure on the liner; removing the liner after the foam has cured; layering parts of the workpiece and curing the parts on the tool without removing the parts from the tool; placing a reference surface of said tool on a base of a machine tool and precisely determining the position of said tool on said base so that the position of said slot is accurately known; programming the controller of the machine tool to control the machine tool to drive a tool in the slot around the workpiece so that the tool engages the entire thickness of the workpiece to form a precise edge on the workpiece ; The workpiece is removed from the workpiece. 20. A method of making a composite workpiece as claimed in claim 19, wherein; During the curing process of the foam material, the step of heating the liner includes energizing an electric heater in contact with the liner. 21. The method of making a composite workpiece of claim 19, further comprising: The laminated part is bonded to the foamed material. 22. A method of making a composite workpiece as claimed in claim 19, wherein: The groove has a dovetail cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the groove. 23. The method of making a composite workpiece of claim 22, further comprising: A layer of release agent is applied to the tank prior to applying a string of the foamed material in the tank. 24. The method of making a composite workpiece of claim 19, wherein: one of said parts of said workpiece is a honeycomb core having holes perpendicular to said top surface of said tool; The programming step further includes programming the controller of the machine tool to control the machine tool to drive a tool positioned on the top surface of the honeycomb core to carve the honeycomb core into a desired shape. 25. The method of making a composite workpiece of claim 24, further comprising: A suction hood is passed through the open end of the hole, and while air is blown into the hole, a vacuum is drawn on the hood to remove dust blown out by the jet air, thereby achieving complete cleaning of the hole. clean up.

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